1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to wind chimes and the like, and more particularly to a vertically suspended wind chime apparatus that operates in response to the wind to produce a pleasant chiming sound.
2. Description of Related Art
Wind chimes produce soft pleasing sounds when blown by the wind. One typical wind chime includes several chimes in the form of metal tubes suspended vertically from a frame. The chimes are suspended so that are free to swing about. A striker is included along with a wind driven striker-moving arrangement that is responsive to the wind (i.e., air moving past the wind chime). When the striker moves, it impacts the metal tubes as they swing about to produce gentle chiming sounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,162 provides an example of a wind chime. It is of the stationary or xe2x80x9cseatedxe2x80x9d type, as opposed to the typical wind chime assembly that hangs from a tree branch or other support structure. The prime mover or impeller is of particular interest. It is a rotor of the Savonius type and it operates to rotate a striker that impacts a set of chimes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,638 presents the concept of using different shapes and types of materials in the striker in order to produce different tones and introduce more unpredictability in the sounds produced. A wind responsive element in the form of a complex striker impacts a fixed set of chime tubes to create interest in tone and timbre. U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,624 substitutes an anemometer-type rotating member for the traditional clapper. Various other patents concern adjustable strikers, variations in hanging chime tubes, and other minor changes. Many new designs are actually electronic devices disguised as wind chimes. Thus, wind chimes continue to be an object of interest and users seek improved wind chime designs.
This invention addresses the need outlined above by providing a wind chime that includes a rotating wind bell apparatus (RWB) having a wind-driven bell and a wind-driven striker. The bell rotates and that produces a tremolo or Doppler-like effect when it is struck by the striker. The striker swings and rotates to introduce a wide range of effects, including sharp and soft impacts, glancing blows, and vibrating sounds. Pleasant sounds result, accompanied by interesting RWB movements.
To paraphrase some of the more precise language appearing in the claims and introduce the nomenclature used, a rotating wind bell apparatus constructed according to the invention includes (i) a downwardly opening resonator (i.e., referred to herein as a xe2x80x9cbellxe2x80x9d) that is adapted to be suspended from a separate support structure, (ii) a striker mechanism connected to the bell that is adapted to function as means for striking the bell, and (iii) a striker-moving mechanism connected to the striker mechanism that is adapted to function as means for causing the striker to move and strike the bell in response to a wind moving past the striker-moving mechanism in order to thereby produce a tone. In addition, (iv) a bell-rotating mechanism is provided connected to the bell that functions as means for causing the bell to rotate in response to the wind moving past the bell-rotating mechanism in order to thereby vary the tone (i.e., produce a tone-varying effect).
For one embodiment, the bell-rotating mechanism includes a first length of flexible line that functions as means for attaching the bell-rotating mechanism to the separate support structure, the bell is suspended from the bell-rotating mechanism, the striker is suspended from the bell in a position at least partially within the bell, and the striker-moving mechanism is suspended from the striker with a second length of flexible line. The bell-rotating mechanism includes a first impeller (e.g., a Savonius type rotor) to which the first length of flexible line is connected and the striker-moving mechanism includes a second impeller (e.g., a sheet of material having at least one bend) to which the second length of flexible line is connected.
In addition, the bell-rotating mechanism includes a circularly shaped impeller base having an upwardly facing side and a downwardly facing side. The Savonius type rotor attached to the upwardly facing side of the impeller base, and the bell is suspended beneath the downwardly facing side. According to another aspect of the invention, the impeller base includes circular graphics on the upwardly facing side that combine with the shape of the rotor when viewed from above to represent a Yin-Yang symbol.
Thus, the RWB of the invention utilizes the property that when a resonating object (i.e., the bell) is rotated, a tremolo or Doppler-like effect is introduced into the tone. In addition, the RWB performs a unique combination of three individual movements that produce the chiming sounds. The RWB lends itself to graphics befitting its xe2x80x9cZenxe2x80x9d nature to simulate the classic Taoist Yin-Yang symbol. It can be used alone, in an ensemble of several units distributed around a venue, or it can be combined into a mobile and hung from a single point. The following illustrative drawings and detailed description make the foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention more apparent.